The 4 ways fraudsters get your credit card info

by: Christina Lavingia

One of the biggest fears many Americans have when banking online or over their phones is becoming the victim of credit card fraud.

Credit card fraud results in losses totaling billions of dollars — $11.27 billion, in fact, as recently as two years ago. Fraudulent activity one of the fasting growing crimes in the world, with 67 percent more Americans suffering from some kind of financial data breach from 2010 to 2012.

Unlike movies that portray criminals as either brutish thugs that steal your wallet and run or adroit pick-pockets that “accidentally” bump into you and walk away with your private information, the real criminals use a number of methods that aren’t as easily identifiable.

You might have come across some of these scams in the past and know what to look out for — or you might never have heard of them. Regardless, there are several ways to protect yourself from thieves, and knowing how the crime is accomplished goes a long way in preventing it from happening to you.

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